


Fireflies

by oneneuroticfan



Category: CW Network RPF, Supernatural RPF
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Magic, lots of fluff, spn-reversebang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-26
Updated: 2015-01-26
Packaged: 2018-03-09 04:18:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3235958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oneneuroticfan/pseuds/oneneuroticfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jared owns a bakery and has a little magic in him. Not that he uses it all that often, though try telling that to the townspeople, somehow they seem to keep blaming him for all the bad things that happen around here, though it doesn't seem to stop them coming and buying his food. Despite everything he loves this town and though occasionally their attitudes wrinkle him, for the most part he's happy with his lot in life. Enter Jensen Ackles, ex-military turned dog trainer and the person Jared thought was a figment of Chris' imagination. </p><p>Written for the 2014 SPN Reversebang challenge. Inspired by ldyghst's fantastic art.<br/>Check it out here: http://ldyghst.livejournal.com/227115.html</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

Jared wills his hand to be steady as he traces a delicate pattern across the side of the cake. He's been at this for the last thirty minutes, piping an intricate weave of rosebuds in a trio of peaches and his hand's beginning to cramp. Shaking his hair from his eyes, he can't remember when he took out the tie that was holding it back, he takes a deep breath and tries to refocus.  
  
He has a habit of spacing out when he's doing this kind of task, and it never seems to end well. The last time, yes it's happened more times than he can count, he'd been icing a cake for Eddie Monroe's tenth birthday. When he'd finished he'd expected to look down and see every-one's friendly neighbourhood spider-man, but what he'd actually iced was a series of red and blue love hearts and suffice to say that would definitely not have gone down well with Eddie Monroe, or Mrs Monroe for that matter. In the end he'd had to break his own rules and use a little magic to morph love hearts into the superhero Eddie would be expecting. He'd felt like a cheat every time he'd baked for the rest of that month.

Jared shakes off the memory, focus, he tells himself, unless he wants to have to break his own rules again. You see there's a rumour around town that Jared comes from a family of witches, only it's not so much of a rumour and more like the truth.

Jared can't remember a time without magic, it's all he's ever known, it's in his blood. A fact his mother is all too eager to remind him at every available opportunity. But at twenty Jared had decided he wanted his life to be more than reading palms or brewing remedies, and it hadn't been a difficult decision to leave his home and his heritage behind.

He'd travelled across America for two years, stopping off at town after town, trying his hand at whatever jobs were available. He'd found after the first year, that he had a natural ability for cooking, baking if he was being more specific and he'd begun to think about the future, and what he actually might like to spend his time doing. He hadn't been certain that that was the path for him until he'd been passing through another town and the little bakery up for sale had caught his eye and suddenly he'd known, as easy as that, he'd been 100% certain that this was the more from life that he'd been looking for.

After a nail biting offer and even more anxious wait to see if it would be accepted the bakery had been his and from then it had all been as simple as baking.

Rules had been set though. When he baked it was all his own skill, no magic, he wanted to be sure that he was good enough to succeed from his skill not his magic. Sure, he adds a little something to everything he bakes, like this cake for instance, a wish fulfilment blended into the mix, which grants the lucky eater a fulfilled wish, within reason, he's not a miracle worker, but that kind of subtle magic never adds to the appearance or the flavour, it's just a lovely after thought, a thank you Jared likes to leave his customers with.

He thinks Danneel will like it, hopes she will. Studying the cake he chuckles to himself, of course she's going to love it. She always loves his baking, on more than one occasion she's blamed Jared for the 10 miles she runs every week to work off his cooking. Tilting his head, as he circles the cake looking for any spots he's missed he thinks she might have to run 11 miles this week, the triple chocolate fudge cake laced with orange is pure decadence and he can already imagine how heavenly it's going to taste.

The tell-tale jingle of a bell signals Jared has a visitor and he sighs in frustration. Two hours, he'd told Gen, at least he thinks he did, no, he's pretty sure he did. He should have realised that in Gen's world that that means one hour and then another hour of her hovering and asking when he's gonna be done, good job he's only got a couple of edges to patch up.

“Two hours means two hours, not one, Gen.” Jared wipes his hands across his apron as he moves around the back room ready to face Genevieve. “So get...”

His voice falters as he rounds the corner into the shop and finds a tall, built man, who is apparently neither petite, brunette or in any way female. Definitely not Genevieve. The hesitation only lasts a minute before Jared walks further into the shop a smile breaking out across his face as the stranger in front of him just stares back, confusion with the situation clearly evident.

“Sorry, thought you were Gen.” Jared tries to explain, the humour of it all isn’t lost on him and he can feel himself smiling like an idiot, thinks he's pretty lucky the guy hasn't just turned around and left already.

“I am.” The stranger replies, the corner of his mouth lifting in a slight smirk whilst he holds his arm outstretched across the counter, offering a hand. “Jensen.” He clarifies as Jared reaches out to grasp Jensen’s invitation.

“Jared.” He answers, smile bright and wide before his eyes slide unconsciously over to the door. “I forgot to flip the sign again right?”

Jensen’s face falls. “Oh, you’re closed?” Jensen gestures back towards the door a clear indication of his sudden unease. “I can…”

Shrugging, Jared waves him off. “You’re here now. Just finishing a cake for my friend Danneel’s birthday and waiting for Genevieve to come breathe down my neck about when it'll be ready. She pretty much has a degree in hovering, it's usually funny, that is, when she's hovering round someone else that isn't me.”

Why did I say that? Is a question Jared asks himself about 30 times a day and he finds himself wondering it now as Jensen's brow wrinkles. He knows some people don't care for his lack of filter and the way he sometimes overshares but that’s Jared, and he's never thought about changing himself just to be liked by someone.

“Danneel Harris?” Jensen asks, brow still furrowed.

“You know Danneel?” Jared queries, intrigued by the new comer.

“Chris.” Jensen clarifies. Chris is Danneel’s other-half and suddenly the penny drops.

“You’re Chris’ Jensen.” Jared states forcibly and only once the words have left his mouth does he realise it was more of an accusation than the question he was going for.

But Jensen just laughs. “Yeah, guess I am.”

Jared feels like banging his head against the wall a few times for not putting two and two together, the hint of Texas in his voice should've been a clue, but the name Jensen and this town, well that should've been a clear giveaway.

“Don’t know why I didn’t put that together, he’s always talking about you, especially since you moved to town.” Jared chooses a few cupcakes for Jensen, placing them into a cardboard box as he talks. “I was wondering when I was gonna get to meet you. I actually bet him you weren’t real.” Damn he had as well, fifty bucks on the fact that Jensen Ackles was just a figment of Chris’ over active imagination. “Damn.”

“How much did I just cost you?” Jensen asks, a smile quirking his lips.

“Fifty.” Jared shrugs. “Maybe he’ll forget.” Fat chance.

“We’re talking about the same Chris here right? Dog hound when it comes to money.”

“Unfortunately, yeah.” Jared laughs. “Here.” He holds a box out for Jensen to take.

Jensen looks at the box in his hands, like he’s unsure how it got there and then he looks back up at Jared suddenly serious.

“I didn’t order.” Jensen says, frown marring his pretty face and Jared’s almost sorry he gave the cakes to him.

“Most people don’t.” Jared shrugs. “I tend to order for them.”

“Oh, okay.” Jensen’s still staring down at the box. “So, how much?”

Jared waves Jensen off. “On the house for a friend of Chris' and first time customer.” Jensen opens his mouth to protest but Jared doesn’t let him get out the refusal he knows is going to come. “Call it a town welcoming.”

Jensen looks at the offending box once more, then back up at Jared, a reluctant smile breaking out over his face. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Jared points into the back room. “Sorry, gotta get back to the…”

“Oh yeah, go ahead.” Jensen turns to leaves and Jared makes his way into the back room and the cake, misses Jensen’s slight hesitation at the door as he flips the sign from open to closed.

Genevieve, predictable as ever, breezes into the bakery half an hour before Jared's time is up. She watches over his shoulder as he puts the finishing touches to Danneel's cake and pesters him with endless questions on what he's doing and why he's doing it that way.

“Oh I met Jensen.” Jared casually slides into the conversation as Genevieve boosts herself up onto the countertop opposite from where he's working.

“I’ve been here nearly an hour and you only just tell me this. Some kind of friend you are!” She huffs in mock annoyance. “So, what’s he like?”

“Hot.” Jared says without thinking.

“Well duh, tell me something I didn’t know.” Jared looks up from the cake, a clear question on his face. “What? I’ve seen pictures.” Genevieve defends.

“Hotter.” Jared replies, because he doubts pictures could ever do Jensen justice.

“Really?”

“Yes, really.” He assures her as he firmly places his attention bake on his decorating, he really needs to stop letting her distract him if he wants to get this done sometime today.

“Yum.”

Chuckling to himself he asks her. “Do you remember you’re taken?”

“Doesn’t mean a girl can’t look.” She winks at him as he peers up over the cake at her. “And mentally strip.”

“You are the worst.” Though Jared knows it’s all a front, the Genevieve below all that bluster is loyal to a fault. He’s learnt over the years not to take everything she says completely literal. Pushing back from the table he grabs a can from the fridge, throws a second over to Gen, he’s lost his focus, better to take a break and get back to it once he’s in the right frame of mind.

“You just wish you had my imagination." She pouts. "You should totally tap that."

Jared nearly chokes on his drink, he forgets how much of a health hazard Genevieve can be.

"Didn't Chris say he was in the army?" Genevieve nods her head taking a swig from her can.

"Doubt he's even gay." Jared tries to explain, no point letting his mind go along a train of thought that is never going to happen.

"He is." She says nonchalantly.

"Stalker." Jared shoulder bumps her as he boosts himself onto the counter to sit next to her.

"Your personal stalker. Quit whining." She throws back, purses her lips and cocks her head to one side as she surveys Jared. "You could always..." Genevieve trails off as she waves her fingers in a style that resembles Jack Sparrow, which Jared takes to mean magic, or 'the big whammy' as she's taken to calling it lately.

Jared merely shakes his head. "That'd be so wrong. Boundaries and all that Gen."

She just shrugs. "Your loss." 

"Hand it over." Chris' grin is wide and slightly menacing and Jared grumbles as he digs into his back pocket for his wallet. No greeting. No invitation in. Just an open doorway and a demand for money. Nothing new when it comes to dropping by Chris and Danneel’s.

Jared holds out fifty bucks his eyes narrowed in Genevieve’s direction, then turns them on Danneel as Chris snatches the money from his fingers.

“I hate you.” He informs Genevieve as Chris does a mock cackle while sliding the notes into his wallet. Bastard.

Gen lifts her hands in defeat. “For once.” She tells him. “It wasn’t me.”

Jared’s eyes narrow further, because he knows just what she’s like when it comes to gossiping with Danneel, so there’s little doubt that she blabbed to Dani the first chance she got, who in turn blabbed to Chris. It’s how it always goes and somehow, knowing that, he still manages to let it happen.

“Truth.” She promises, making a little cross over her heart with her forefinger. Strange. Very strange he thinks and finally makes it over the threshold.

Jared passes off his present to Danneel and makes a bee-line for the kitchen before she can open it. He loves buying presents for people, loves giving people presents but he always gets this niggling doubt that the thing that he thought would be so awesome for them, is actually going to suck ass and they’re going to hate it. So he makes himself scarce for the opening part.

“You’re such a perfectionist.” Gen tells him, as if he didn’t already know, whilst he studies his cake. He just turns to her and shrugs, no point in denying something you know to be true, right?

Turning from the table he pulls open the fridge and grabs two beers, waggles one in Gen’s direction, pulls it slightly out of reach when she makes a grab for it.

“Tease.” She complains pouting. Jared relents and she grabs it from his hands, eliciting a cry of triumph as she does and Jared can only laugh at the way she manipulates him. He knows she’s doing it, always has, but he loves her too much to do anything but let her.

Leaving the safety of the kitchen, they head out into the back yard and the moment Jared steps through the door he’s hit with the warm aroma of BBQ. If he weren’t in polite company he’d be drooling right about now.

“Jared.” Mrs. Halloway greets as he’s passing by.

“Hey, how’s my favourite girl?” He asks, to which Mrs. Halloway just laughs and pats him on the cheek.

“You’re a good lad Jared.” She tells him before shooing him off.

Jared won’t deny he’s got a soft spot for Mrs. Halloway, he always saves her his best loaf on Monday’s and six of his softest scones on Friday’s. There’s just something about her. He thinks maybe she reminds him of his own Grams and he’d loved her fiercely.

Weaving his way further into the crowd Jared finally notices just how many people turned up, although, he should hardly be surprised, just the mention of BBQ in this town and you have a houseful. It’s nice though, to have that kind of community around you. He takes a moment as he’s still moving to take it all in, people talking, laughing over good food and good drink, the Paisley twins sneaking behind the garage, no doubt for a fag or some booze, little Charlie and Lacy chasing the dogs through the trees, then shrieking as the dogs somehow manage to be chasing them. Yeah, Jared thinks, it’s nice to be a part of something like this.

People call out as he passes, David from the post office. Alice from the mini mart. Mr and Mrs Miller who teach at the local school. The Anderson’s and Fitzgerald’s seem to have put an end to their feud as they try to entice Jared into a conversation over the merge of their pub and restaurant, it only took the marriage of their children to cause it. Jared’s reluctant to stop for any length of time though, says a short greeting before pushing on, his eyes are firmly on the prize, the food cooking just in front of him.

It isn’t until he escapes the crowd of people and reaches the grill that he notices someone left Chad manning it and for a moment Jared worries for the health of anyone eating something Chad cooked, but then he logically decides that even chad couldn’t mess up throwing a few burgers and sausages onto the grill and turning them a few times. He really hopes he’s not over-estimating Chad’s abilities.

“Hey man!” Chad greets and they talk a little. How’s his better half? How’s his kid? Yes, that’s right, someone allowed Chad to procreate.

“He’s a little shit.” Chad complains, a grin splitting his face as he does.

“Chip of the old block then eh?” Chad punches him in the arm and Jared pretends it hurt.

He’s happy for Chad, for Danneel and Chris, for the lives they’re making, but sometimes Jared yearns a little for earlier times. Times before the relationships and kids, when they made spontaneous plans and were always up to something. Not that that doesn’t still happen, it just somehow doesn’t seem quite like it used to.

Jared’s shaken out of his moment of nostalgia when something sweeps past his leg, then pushes against it more forcibly. He looks down to find a golden retriever bumping its nose against him. Pretty dog, he thinks. Kneeling down to the dog’s level he strokes and talks to it, no doubt Chad’s rolling his eyes at him, but he doesn’t care, pretty dogs are one of his soft spots.

He hears someone clear their throat and looks up, feels his brain go to mush. Oh. It turns out pretty guys are another of those soft spots.

“Sorry.” Jensen apologises.

Jared just laughs as Jensen’s dog surges forward and licks across his cheek. He learns that May, the golden retriever and source of the dog spit now covering him, is yet to turn one.

“May?” Jared asks before he can stop himself and suddenly wonders if it’s okay to question the name of a man’s dog.

Jensen, however doesn’t seem to be offended, in fact he seems amused by the question. “It was a good month for me.” Is all he says by way of explanation, and while Jared holds back any further questions, he files them away to bring up with Gen. He knows the gossip stream will end up back with Chris and it won’t be too long before he has the answers.

It’s awkward for a moment, Jared still knelt down stroking May, Jensen just standing watching. He’s thankful when the whirlwind that is Kayla, Mrs. Halloway’s granddaughter ends the moment.

“Doggie.” She laughs. “Doggie play.”

Jared looks at Jensen, sees May look back at her master, awaiting permission, tail already wagging in anticipation. A smile teases at the corner of his lips as he sets May loose with Kayla.

The two of them find a shaded spot under the trees to sit and watch the little girl roll around with the puppy. Squeals of laughter fill the air and the awkwardness from earlier seems to melt away with it.

They talk, about nothing and everything. Jared learns Jensen has family in Texas, hails from there originally, and that Jensen moved out here from the city. Tactfully Jared broaches Jensen’s time in the army, he brings it up lightly, mentions that Chris said something about him serving and he immediately sees the change in the man sitting next to him. His whole body tenses, all the openness from earlier disappears and Jared thinks for a moment he fucked this all up.

“Hey killjoys.” Danneel greets, throwing herself down onto Jared, and he watches, whilst wincing from the onslaught, Jensen slide back into comfortable. He files further questions away but doesn’t forget them.

“Oh, look at May.” Dani laughs as she sees Kayla hugging May close. “You’re training her well Jen.”

Jared’s eyebrows raise in question. “Hmm?”

“Jensen’s a dog trainer, you know, he trains them to be service dogs, to help people from the military and Jensen you should explain because I’m butchering this.”

They both turn to Jensen, who for a change is looking a little self-conscious.

“You can train a dog to do more or less anything.” Jensen starts, looking over at May. “It’s easier if their younger, it’s erm, like it is with children. Some people that come out of the service can’t do everything for themselves anymore, it’s where service dogs come in. They can pick things up, or guide you if you can’t see, help you if you fall, clear dangerous things if you’re having a seizure, or sometimes, they just offer emotional support.”

Jensen glances back at Jared as if he’s worried Jared’s lost interest, before he continues.

“I’m just training May at the minute.” Jensen explains. “I’m working on anxiety with her. If something makes her handler anxious, I’m teaching her to notice that kind of mood change and how to react to it. She’s getting good at guiding, support and comfort too and she’s pretty much got the basics down.”

“I don’t know how you could let her go once she’s fully trained. Do you train for clients or train and then match them with a handler?” Jared asks, sincerely intrigued by Jensen’s line of work.

“A bit of both, though if I don’t have a client, I usually have in mind the type of handler I’m training for.”

“May?” Jared asks.

“No client and surprisingly I’m not sure what kind of handler I’d offer her to.” Jensen shrugs.

Danneel reaches over to poke Jensen in the ribs. “Keep telling yourself that.” She tells him.

Jared’s about to ask what Dani means, when Gen launches herself, much like Dani had done earlier, at him.

Winded Jared complains, “What is it with women throwing themselves at me today?”

“Oh shush, you love it.” Gen tells him. “Hey Jensen.” She waves like a dork and Jared has to hide a laugh in her hair.

“So how do you know Chris?” Gen asks, never one to pull her punches, or wait to actually be introduced to a person before asking them their life story, it’s actually one of the things Jared loves most about her.

“Met in a bar in Texas.” Jensen starts.

“Now that sounds like the beginning of a bad porno.” Danneel jokes, and it’s clear to Jared that Jensen isn’t just Chris’ friend, he’s as much Danneel’s too.

“I don’t remember how but we ended up playing pool, and I was drunk as hell, think he probably was too and somehow money was bet and someone had to win, me, and someone had to lose, him.”

“Chris doesn’t tell it that way.” Dani butts in.

“Like Chris would ever admit to losing a bet.” Jared doesn’t think there’s ever been a truer statement. “So he got royally pissed off, accused me of playing him and started having a major hissy fit, got all macho about it too. Then I punched him.”

“Which he still denies.” Dani explains.

“My earlier point stands. So I punched him and he just laughed. We’ve pretty much been friends ever since.”

Jared tries to imagine Jensen punching Chris. He tries to imagine anyone punching Chris and ending up being friends, but he can’t wrap his head around it. Weird, he thinks, very weird.

Gen jumps up with as much force as she landed and pulls at Jared’s arm. “Come on Jared, we haven’t had material like this to hold over Chris’ head in, well, ever. No wonder he wouldn’t tell me how him and Jensen became friends. Come on.”

Jared shakes his arm loose. “Maybe later.”

“Your loss.” She calls back as she weaves through the crowd.

Dani brushes the grass from her jeans as she stands. “Best go make sure they don’t end up killing each other.” She jokes, or Jared hopes she does. “Enjoy the party.”

“Happy Birthday.” Jared calls out as she disappears.

It’s just him and Jensen again.

After a moment Jensen speaks. “They’re a big part of the reason I moved out here.” He explains and Jared thinks he understands, because they’re a big part of the reason he stays.

The crowd begins to thin, people say goodbye, children to put bed and early mornings are their excuses and before Jared realises it, the sun is setting and he can count on his fingers the number of people left in the yard. They’re secluded at the bottom of the garden, the stars twinkling down through the trees and the romance of the moment isn’t lost on Jared. There’s this funny hum in his chest. It’s been growing since he took this spot next to Jensen in the grass.

The damp is settling in, beginning to work at his jeans but Jared doesn’t notice it. He can feel the magic. The melody of a man singing about first love floats out from the house, wraps itself around the two of them and weaves its subtle web. Before Jared can think about, before he can realise it’s a stupid idea, before he can stop himself, he’s leaning forward and pressing his lips against Jensen’s.

Jensen goes rigid. Jared’s heart stills as he waits, for something, for anything.

Nothing.

Jared pulls back, the moment gone and curses his own stupidity. Well he royally fucked that up. He shouldn’t have done it, but he can’t bring himself to regret it, still feels the pressure of soft lips against his own.

Jensen blinks, clears his throat, silence sits between them, the song of first love has drawn to a close. Jared’s working up some form of explanation or a way to excuse himself when he finds his arms full of dog and a warm tongue on his cheek. A laugh bubbles up out of Jensen and Jared finds his own chuckle joining him in the darkness.

Things might be okay.

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Jared doesn’t mention the kiss, and Jensen hasn’t brought it up either, so he thinks he’s probably doing the right thing by just letting it slide. It’s just that, it’s all that Jared can think about and he’s having to consciously not think about it as he furiously scrubs at the paint on his windows.

Things between the two of them have been good, despite the kiss and Jared thinks they’re friends now, which is awesome. Jensen drops by just to chat. He’s as at home as Dani, or Gen, when he’s sitting on the counter top watching Jared work in the mornings. Fits as perfectly into his life as Chris or Chad do when they hang out over beers and football, feet on the coffee table. But somehow it’s more than that.

Jared thinks he may be falling just a little for Jensen. And that could make things complicated.

His shoulders ache as he scrubs a little harder. It’s strange, he thinks, how out of everything, the people of this town choose his magic to be discriminating about. He sighs as the soapy water runs down the inside of his arm and drenches his sleeve. Great. He wonders what it is he’s being blamed for this time.

Original. He surmises as he takes another look at the graffiti that’s been haphazardly sprayed across the shop window. As if he hasn’t seen that before. For a second he considers phoning Hank, the sheriff, then he thinks better of it. The only thing that that would really accomplish is him losing a few more hours of his day. With wet hands Jared pushes the sleeves of his jacket a little higher and resigns himself to a little elbow grease.

He can’t be certain how long he’s been at it when he hears footsteps approach somewhere to his left, but he’s about halfway through and his shoulders are really beginning to cramp, he makes a mental note to hit the gym more regularly. He knows Gen would suggest he just use ‘the big whammy’ to deal with his morning surprise, but Jared knows that that’s a slippery slope he doesn’t want to go down. Once you’ve started, where do you draw the line on what you can and can’t use magic for? No, he’s seen too many people become twisted that way. Isn’t that why he’d committed to living his life as magic free as possible? Isn’t that why he’d left his family, his home and his heritage for something more?

“What happened?” The deep rasp breaks the early morning silence and Jared almost flinches, he’d dismissed the footsteps as a passer-by, hadn’t realised they’d stopped close by.

Jared shrugs as he turns to Jensen. “Kids.” He offers as explanation, bending down to stroke May. Jared likes the way he always sees the two of them together. It’s like Jensen can’t go anywhere without her and Dani’s words from the BBQ that he found odd come to mind. He thinks he understands now. Jensen’s training her for himself. He wonders if Jensen  _can_  go anywhere without her, but the day he first met Jensen, here in his bakery comes to mind, and he doesn’t think May was with him. He makes a mental note to do some serious research on service dogs and training later. By serious he means a google search and the top three hits, but hey, he’s showing an interest.

“You call the Sheriff?” Jensen asks, he’s staring intently at the graffiti his mouth set in a hard line.

“Nah.” Jared stands, his knees are beginning to cramp now too. Damn, he really needs to hit the gym next week, or at least get into a better routine with his morning jogs. He notices the furrow in Jensen’s brow.

“Ain’t the first time.” Jared explains. “Probably won’t be the last. Anyway, Hank’s got better things to do, or so he tells me.”

It’s safe to say that Jared isn’t Hank’s favourite person in the world and the feeling is pretty much mutual, which is odd for Jared, he’s not in the habit of disliking people, in fact he often makes it a point not to, but there’s just something about Hank that rubs him the wrong way, always has done.

“So people take this seriously huh?” Jensen asks. Jared finds himself retracing the conversation to find the meaning behind Jensen’s words.

Jensen continues when Jared remains silent. “The magic thing?”

Ah, it clicks, little slow on the uptake there, but he’s catching up. He takes a moment though to decide how to go about this with Jensen.

“People take the truth seriously I guess.” Jared explains and he watches scepticism float across Jensen’s features. “It’s a family trait.” Jared continues, not put off by Jensen’s disbelief. “Like eye colour or height.”

“You inherited it?” Jensen asks, and there’s just a hint of incredulity in his tone that, if Jared wanted to, he could probably take offense at. But that isn't really his nature. Jared gets the feeling Jensen is one of those people who believes in what they can see and touch, in what they can explain and he can understand that. Life sometimes destroys people’s ability to take things on faith.

“Yeah. It’s been passed down for generations, it’s a little different in everyone, you can never really be sure of its strength, but maybe that’s more to do with acceptance than with ability.”

Jared knows he’s probably making Jensen uneasy with the way he can openly talk about this, no doubt Jensen’s going to go away from this conversation having classed Jared with some kind of crazy. He wouldn’t be the first.

“So, what are you doing  _here_  then?” Jensen asks, a little bluntly, then tries to lighten the question with a joke. “I guess, if I had magic I’d be off making money or living the good life.”

Jared just shrugs. “This is the good life.”

He knows Jensen probably doesn’t agree, probably wonders what’s so great about scrubbing graffiti from a window, but the thing that most people don’t understand is that that’s his window.

They talk a little longer about lighter things, like the weather and plans for the day, before Jensen awkwardly asks.

“So why don’t you just…” He makes a poofing sound that Jared takes to mean ‘magic it away’ and heaves a sigh as he drops the sponge into the bucket.

“It’s nice to do things for myself.” Jared explains.

Jensen rolls up his sleeves and grabs the sponge from the bucket. “I can understand that.” He tells Jared as he begins to scrub at the graffiti.

With help, the window is clean in half the time it would have taken Jared to do it alone, and Jared’s spirit feels more balanced again. The hour with Jensen has been nice, even with the magic talk. He wonders who told him.

As Jensen gets May and turns to leave he asks. “You’re having me on right?” He gestures to the window. “With the magic thing?”

Jared’s heart stutters a little, disbelief hasn’t hurt quite this much before.

“No.” Jared says, resigned.

“So, Chris didn’t put you up to this?” Jensen enquires, and the strange thing is, that if it wasn’t the truth, it is just the type of thing Chris would do. He finds, knowing that that’s where Jensen’s come from he can’t hold it against him.

“No.” He repeats.

Jensen nods his head in acceptance as he heads out the door and Jared’s not sure where on the belief scale Jensen sits anymore.

Jared doesn’t know why he’s surprised when Chris and Danneel ambush him a few days later. He’s know them too long and knows them too well to not have seen this coming.

“You should ask him on a date.” Danneel suggests, sliding onto the sofa next to him, she snags his beer off the coffee table and Jared has a moment to think that he should probably be annoyed by that, but it’s just Danneel and he finds he isn’t.

If he wanted to be difficult he might ask who she’s talking about, but he knows it wouldn’t get him very far, and it’s not really his nature.

“I don’t date.” He gives as explanation, it’s one he’s given countless times, and it’s mostly true.

“But you’re perfect for each other.” Danneel continues, easing over his words as if they weren’t said or weren’t important anyway. “Chris agrees.” She turns on Chris and Jared mirrors her movement. He pauses mid movement, hand full of chips frozen hallway between the bag and his mouth and merely shrugs. Danneel sighs and shrugs, that universal shrug of woman saying ‘what can you do’ then turns back to Jared. “He agrees. I’ve been telling him to introduce the two of you for years.”

Jared doesn’t comment, just flicks through the channels searching for the game.

“I told you this was a waste of time.” Chris chimes in, earning himself Dani’s death glare, to which Chris merely holds up his hands in defeat and shakes his head, while muttering just loud enough for the two of them to hear. “Well I did.”

“You’re not helping.” She snipes back at him. “And you.” Her forefinger burrows forcibly into Jared’s chest, it’s not a feeling he’s entirely enjoying. “Are being a stubborn idiot.” She twists for good measure on the last word and Jared winces, before letting his head fall backwards to rest on the top of the sofa.

“He’s not interested.” He says more to remind himself than to tell her. “So it doesn’t matter anyway.”

Out of the corner of his eye Jared sees Danneel narrow her own at him and he knows he’s said too much.

“How do you know-“

“Course he is.”

“-that?”

Danneel asks and Chris interjects.

They both turn to look at Chris who shakes his head to say that’s all he’s saying.

“He’s not. Okay.” Jared tells Danneel, choosing to pretend Chris never said anything. “Can we drop it?”

He’s been trying to get the failed kiss attempt out of his mind since it happened and it’s been hard enough to do without having Jensen mentioned and bringing the whole thing up again. Reminding him how good it had felt until it hadn’t.

Dani bumps her shoulder against his and keeps silent this time. She plays dirty, Jared thinks, as he feels her support and understanding and interest twine through the silence that’s only broken by the announcement of the score from the TV and the crunch of chips from across the room.

“I kissed him okay.” Jared blurts out.

Danneel woops and claps her hands and Jared thinks if he doesn’t explain properly she might do cartwheels around his living room in a minute.

“Calm down.” He tells her. “Like I said. He wasn’t interested.”

“Oh come on Jared. Anyone that looks at the tw-”

“Dani! I was there okay, and I know disinterest when I see it. So just. Enough.” His words are more forceful than he’d like but he feels the annoyance crawling under his skin. Standing, he heads for the kitchen and a fresh beer and a few moments to calm himself.

When he turns from the fridge it’s to find Chris leaning against the jamb of the door. Should’ve known Dani would send Chris after him. They’re like a goddamn tag team the two of them, they’ll wear anyone down until they break.

Chris holds up his hand before Jared can speak. “Just hear me out.” He says.

Jared nods.

“Jensen. He’s got, issues. Being in the military for as long as he was and seeing the things he did will do that to a guy. But, just take my advice and ask him for a beer somewhere, or some food. You threw him with the thing at the BBQ.” Chris looks as uncomfortable as Jared feels. He picks at the corner of the label on his bottle. “Just think about it okay?”

Jared nods again.

The topic of Jensen is dropped for the rest of the night, they watch the Cowboy’s beat the Bear’s but Jared’s mind isn’t on the game, Chris’ words just play on a loop in his mind and when he closes the door and heads to bed he’s still not sure what he should do. 

By the next morning it’s decided. Jared is going to ask Jensen out. On date. With him. The only problem with that is actually doing the asking.

Jensen swings by, as is his usual habit, to watch Jared bake. He says he finds it relaxing, but Jared knows he does it just so he can scam baked goods from him, he’s under no illusions about Jensen’s ulterior motives.

However on this morning he burns the muffins, which only serves to make Jensen laugh and Jared to frown.

“Like you’ve never burnt some muffins before.” Jensen jokes.

“I’ve never burnt these muffins before.” Jared pouts. He knows his funk’s all out of whack with this question he wants to ask Jensen burning in the back of his throat and it’s annoying. Actually it’s beyond annoying because this is his life and it was going perfectly well, he was not burning muffins, until Jensen stupidly walked into it.

“Do you wanna go out with me?” He blurts out without really thinking, casts his gaze skywards in exasperation with himself as he realises the words that just came out of his mouth. He throws the tray of muffins on the counter, takes a breath to steady himself and thinks to hell with it, might as well try to make the best of a bad situation.

“Like on a date.” Okay that wasn’t much better. Another breath, he prays for patience with himself. Try again. “Can I take you o-“

“Yes.” Jensen interrupts and Jared’s thankful someone was listening to his plea for help and then it hits him. Jensen just said yes. He probably looks as startled as he feels. Jensen rolls his eyes and chuckles. “I’m free tonight if you are?”

“Yes!” Jared says a little too eagerly. “Yeah, tonight’s great. I’ll swing by yours around 7?”

“Sure."

Jensen said yes. Jensen said yes and they’re going on a date tonight! Jared has to practically restrain himself from picking up the phone and dialling Gen as soon as possible to freak out over clothes and places to go. Oh god. He hadn’t thought about the actual date part. Just the asking. He’s so screwed.

Jared does manage to hold onto control however, he even offers Jensen as muffin as he’s leaving.

“You burnt them.” Jensen points out as they both turn to the muffins, to find them sitting on the counter golden brown, and not a singe in sight.

“Huh. Guess they weren’t as well done as we thought.” Jensen tries to explain a puzzled look crossing his face. Oops, Jared thinks, looks like his happy overflowed just a little too much. Ah well, magical accidents will happen.

“This is fun.” Jensen laughs as Jared spins them around and then around again. “But if you keep it up that lasagne is gonna make another appearance.”

Jared guffaws as he slows their movement until they’re just slightly swaying in time with the music.

“You really think it’s fun?” He asks Jensen. He’d been wary about bringing Jensen here, to the pavilion in the town square, but when he’d suggested it to Gen she’d thought it was the most romantic idea ever and she wouldn’t hear a word about any other plans for the night.

“Yeah.” Jensen says, leaning back a little so he can look up at Jared, there’s a slight blush across his cheeks that makes Jared’s heart race. “It reminds me of the story my Mum used to tell of Dad courting her.”

Jared can’t hold back the grin that spreads across his face. “You sap.” He teases and loves the way Jensen’s easy laugh rumbles out in response.

Jensen eases closer to Jared, rests his head against Jared’s shoulder as they continue to move and says, just barely louder than a whisper. “If I were the sappy kind, which I definitely am not, I might tell you I like the romance of it all.”

Jared’s heart clutches and he makes a mental reminder to bake Gen whatever she wants for the rest of her life for talking him into this plan.

The date so far had gone off without a hitch. He’d arrived at Jensen’s, palms sweaty, feeling like a teenager on his first date all over again, but when Jensen had opened the door and smiled in greeting, May pushing between him and the door to see who the visitor could be. Well, all anxiety had fled and he’d just had this sudden feeling that he can’t describe as anything other than rightness.

That feeling had only grown as the evening had progressed, it had built through their meal, good food, good drink and even better company and now it’s this little fluttering in his stomach and this ache in his heart as he pulls Jensen into a fast spin as the tempo of the music picks up once again.

It’s with reluctance that he finally suggests they head home.

“We’ll be the talk of the town if we stay out later than Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald.” Jared jokes as they head down the steps of the pavilion.

“I can see the scandal now!” Jensen laughs, lacing their fingers together and pulling Jared down the street.

The air is just the comfortable side of crisp as they reach Jensen’s door and they pause outside as Jensen searches his pocket for a key. The pause gives Jared time to think, which sometimes, really isn’t a good thing. He wonders if he should give that kiss another try, works the thought over and over in his mind.

“I had a great time.” He tells Jensen. His eyes keep darting to Jensen’s lips and then back up to his eyes.

“Me too.” Jensen agrees.

“So if I was to call and ask if you wanted to do this again, you’d say yes?” Jared blurts out before his brain has time to tell his lips to stop moving dammit.

Jensen, however, just finds it amusing, chuckling he tells Jared. “Why don’t you call me and find out?”

“Flirt.” Jared teases.

This time it isn’t Jared who makes the move, it’s Jensen, he pushes forward off the door, grabs the lapels of Jared’s jacket and hauls himself into Jared’s space. Before Jared can think to react, he’s got Jensen’s mouth pressed firmly against his. Acting purely on instinct, his lips part and he slides one hand up to cradle Jensen’s jaw, the other comes to rest on the small of Jensen’s back, pressing them closer together.

The spark that Jared has felt building since he saw Jensen in this doorway seems to explode as their tongues meet and Jared can feel it from his head, which is becoming decidedly fuzzy, to the tips of his toes. He’s never felt anything so right before.

His breath comes choppy and fast when he pulls back, and his eyes don’t leave Jensen’s face. Jensen however is looking past Jared, and over his shoulder, then his head tilts back, to the left, then to the right and there’s this look of utter wonder on his face. Pulling his gaze away from Jensen Jared suddenly understands Jensen’s awe. They’re surrounded by light. Tiny little sparks of light. It’s almost like a hundred fireflies are dancing around them.

Realisation sinks in and for Jared, it’s like being hit with a bucket of cold water, the lights immediately dim, before fading out of existence entirely. It turns out that that spark that felt like it exploded within his chest actually manifested his magic. He’s heard stories like this before, but he’d always though they were a myth, a story to entertain the children. When he was little his mother had talked of music playing when she kissed his father for the first time, and until the kiss was over she hadn’t realised the music had actually been her magic. Jared realises the implication of this moment and it scares him just a little.

Jensen is watching him, that look of wonder still on his face and Jared thinks he looks younger, hasn’t got the age of the life he’s seen behind those eyes.

“Guess you weren’t having me on.” Jensen jokes, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he swings open the door.

Jared turns to leave, is halfway down the porch steps when he hears his name and turns back.

“Call.” Jensen says simply. Five minutes earlier Jared was 100% sure he’d call, now, a little shaken, he’s not quite sure he’ll have the guts to pick up that phone.

“It’s your turn to ask.” He tells Jensen as he hops down the final step. Easier that way, he thinks, to put the control in Jensen’s hands.

His legs don’t feel quite so steady as he makes the walk home.

Jared puts it off as long as he can, but after a sleepless night, and never-ending thoughts he realises what he’s got to do. Call his mother.

It’s early when he picks up the phone, but she’s always been an early riser. She’s not surprised when she hears his voice, but then Jared wonders if his mother has ever really been surprised by anything.

He ask her what the weather’s like, how the family is, he tells her about the shop and she tries to convince him to come home. It’s the same conversation they always have, the same questions with the same old answers. One question changes it all.

“You remember that story you used to tell me, about Dad and the music?” He asks.

“You met someone!” She immediately replies.

“It’s not serious.” He thinks of the lights and knows that that’s anything but true.

“So you’re just asking me about the music out of the blue?” She accuses.

“It’s just, in case it does get serious.” If she doesn’t believe him she doesn’t call him on the lie, just tells him what he needs to know, how a soul can recognise another.

“You know the stories Jared, love is the purest form of magic, we always taught you that.” She takes a breath as if choosing her words carefully. “You can’t make a love spell that will ever work, because you can’t imitate pure magic, it just is. People with magic, like me or you, we can sometimes sense a soulmate and the purity of that magic it can manifest in some way.”

Like music or light, Jared thinks.

“But I thought you didn’t believe in fate.” Jared’s frustrated, his mother has always taught him that no one makes their destiny but themselves, it’s why she’s always badgering about him coming home and embracing his gifts. The way she’s explaining this, it’s as if he has no say in his life at all. It’s as if fate has already chosen Jensen for him.

“I don’t.” She continues. “You don’t necessarily have just one soulmate Jared. Things change based on the choices you make in life and the person you become because of those choices.”

She pauses, and Jared feels more confused than ever, he thought calling his mother was supposed to help him figure this whole thing out.

“Jared, your father wasn’t the first man I loved.” She explains and that is news to Jared. “When I was younger I fell in love with a boy, as teenage girls do and the first time he kissed me two dove’s materialised from nowhere. I’d thought, then, that I’d spend my life with him, I thought that’s what it meant. It didn’t really work out that way though, a few more years and a little more life experience we started to grow apart and eventually we went our separate ways and then, I met your father.”

Jared thinks he understands, or at least he’s come to some understanding on the whole thing. They talk for a little longer before Jared tells her he needs to get back to the bakery.

“You’ll call won’t you?” She asks. “When it gets serious.”

“Course.” He lies, or doesn’t, because he guesses he did call.

“Promise?”

“Promise.” And he doesn’t feel as bad as he should about that lie.

Once he’s off the phone, he spends the morning pottering around the bakery, he tries to ground himself in the day to day tasks of running a business and living in a small town. He chats with Mrs. Halloway when she pops in and she beams at the cream scone he saved for her. Like always she tells him he’s a good boy.

Mrs. Fitzgerald stops by and comments on the weather, he hears the accusation in her voice, but chooses to let it go, as he has done every other time she’s made the same comment. Sometimes it needs to rain. It does put a thought in his mind though. What would he do if he did decide to control the weather, would he make it snow so the kids could have a day off school and him and Jensen could make snow angels. Or maybe he’d bring the sun out so they could have a picnic in the park and sunbathe with May.

He realises almost every thought he has these days involves Jensen in some way and just like that any lingering anxiety over the light incident just kind of fades away, because he kind of likes it that way. So what if his soul recognises Jensen’s, surely that’s awesome.

It takes two days for Jensen to call and Jared had resigned himself to the fact that he’d scared Jensen away, so it’s a shock when he picks up the phone to Jensen’s voice.

“Mine. 6 O’Clock. Bring beer.” That’s all he says before the line goes dead and Jared’s not quite sure what it all means.

When he arrives promptly on Jensen’s doorstep, he’s greeted with sloppy kisses from May and the widest grin he’s ever seen on Jensen’s face.

“Something smells good.” Jared appreciates the smell of good food and hands off the beer to Jensen.

“I cooked.” Jared raises an eyebrow, he didn’t realise that Jensen could cook, shouldn’t be surprised really, Jensen, it turns out, is pretty good at most things. When it comes to cooking though, it turns out, Jensen isn’t just good he’s pretty damn fantastic.

After the meal, full and content they laze on Jensen’s sofa, May snuggled across their laps and some football game is playing on the TV but Jared’s not really paying attention to it.

“You never did explain the name May to me.” Jared says, it’s his roundabout way of asking the question, without actually asking it.

“Guess I didn’t.” Jensen shifts next to him and Jared thinks that’s all the reply he’s going to get but then Jensen continues. “I met Chris in a bar in May the week before I left with the army, five years later I got out. I moved here in May you know. Like I said it’s been a good month for me and when I got May I didn’t realise, although I think Dani probably did, but I’m not training May for anyone else, she’s staying with me.”

Nothing really changes over the next few weeks, Jensen still sits on the counter top in the mornings to watch him bake, still manages to steal a few too hot cookies from their cooling racks, still props his feet on Jared’s coffee table and shouts at the TV when they watch football. Really almost nothing at all changes, except for the make-out sessions and the dog food in Jared’s kitchen, but really that isn’t a lot. He’s not sure what he’d been so afraid of.

It’s a relatively mundane Monday morning when things do change, as all things must.

Whilst Jensen is an excellent chef he’s never baked and somehow he manages to wrangle Jared into teaching him. Who knew what a task it would be.

The kitchen is a mess, flour everywhere, Jared thinks there might be more on Jensen than actually in the cakes they’re making and he can’t hold back his laughter. It rumbles in his chest and makes his sides hurt. There’re tears in his eyes and he’s gasping for breath as words he doesn’t have a chance to think about spill from his lips.

“God I love you.”

The laughter dies out and they both still, the humour of the moment suddenly lost. Jensen doesn’t say anything, just eases around the table, stands in front of Jared before leaning up on his tip toes and pressing a kiss to Jared’s lips.

“Love you too.” Jensen says easing back. They’re both sporting the widest grins, Jared is now covered in half of Jensen’s flour and laughter breaks out between them.

The End  



End file.
